On Thursday, October 26, 2023, under the bright lights of McLean Hall, dozens of students gathered to write the annual Canadian Open Math Contest (COMC). This is just one of several math contests that the Math Department holds each year. Most competitions, including the COMC, are open to students in Grades 8–12. These events strive to foster an environment of problem solving and continued learning of mathematics outside of the classroom.

 

Contests are meant to challenge students who are passionate about math. This year, students have already competed in the COMC, CSIMC (Canadian Senior and Intermediate Math Competition), AMC (American Math Contest), and AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination), among others.

 

The COMC is Canada’s premiere high school math competition. This year, it boasted over 6,000 test takers globally. Kiran Sun '24, has been involved in the COMC and other math contests for over seven years. Recently, he achieved Saints’ top score with a 75/80, earning him an honourable mention for the whole of Canada. Yuyang Fu ‘26 placed second for all Saints students, scoring 65/80, an impressive feat that qualified him for an honourable mention in BC, alongside Derek Li ‘25, and Oscar Liu ‘26.

 

The University of Waterloo sponsored CSIMC on November 15th was also a success. For the Senior contest, Kiran Sun ‘24, Joseph Wang ‘25, and Justin Bao ‘25 achieved the top three scores at Saints, while Yuyang Fu ‘26, Ryan Pan ‘26, Andy Yi ‘26, Ryan Cai ‘26, and Marco Zhang’s ‘26 efforts in the Intermediate contest secured the School’s overall ranking of third in the Province.

 

Having been immersed in math contests since the Junior School, Kiran has seen how it plays a positive effect on a student's learning. “Often, math in the classroom is applying formulas, whereas math contests challenge students to come up with the right approach,” says Kiran. “It’s fun. Math contests are like puzzles…It’s seeing what will happen if you try new things.”

 

Earlier this month, a number of students also wrote the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, an accomplishment on its own. This was the culmination of the top-scoring papers on the AMC earlier this school year. In November, over 60 students participated in the AMC 10/12. The top three winners at Saints for the AMC 10 were Jack Wang ‘28, who achieved a perfect score, Yihan Hu ‘28, and Ryan Wu ‘27. From the 47 Grade 8–10 students writing the contest, six received Certificates of Achievement, eight received Certificates of Distinction, and ten had top papers and were invited to the AIME. On the AMC 12, Andrew Zhang ‘24 and Victor Zheng ‘25 placed first and second respectively and earned Certificates of Distinction, while Jason Lai ‘24, Reece Liu ‘24, and Ian Qiu ‘25 tied for third. Overall, nine Grade 11 and 12 students were invited to the AIME. Those who wrote the AIME are hoping to advance to the USAMO (United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and United States of America Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) in March, which are two incredibly prestigious competitions.


Jerry Chen ‘26, Ken Zhao ‘26, Leo Fu ‘26, Ray Zhang ‘26

 

The High School Mathematical Contest in Modelling (HiMCM) also took place in November. The contest is unique in that it challenges students to use mathematics to model and develop a solution to a real-world problem. In a pool of 967 teams from 18 counties, the contest culminated with nine outstanding winners, one of which was St. George’s Team, including Ray Zhang ‘26, Leo Fu ‘26, Ken Zhao ‘26, and Jerry Chen ‘26.


Kiran Sun ‘24 & Jack Wang ‘28

 

On Thursday, Kiran Sun ‘24 and Jack Wang ‘28 wrote the Canadian Math Olympiad (CMO), while Leo Fu ‘26 and Ryan Zhu ‘28 wrote the Canadian Junior Math Olympiad (CJMO). The top test-takers for these two invite-only contests will be shortlisted for the selection for Team Canada at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Keep your fingers crossed for these students as they hope to represent Canada at the international level!

 

With the long list of standout math students at Saints, the future is in good hands. The Math Department’s dedication in organizing and hosting math contests has fostered a spirit of healthy competition, encouraging curiosity and problem-solving outside of the classroom. These contests will, without a doubt, instil a passion for math in students. By providing students with opportunities to challenge themselves, they are equipped with the necessary tools to emerge as young mathematicians.

Career Life Connections 11 —
Professional Role Plays On April 11

Career Life Connections 11 is excited to offer Professional Role Plays as part of our Careers Week Program on April 11th. Specialists in a field are invited to lead a Professional Role Play, in which students take part in activities that mirror a career-related scenario.

• Students in the role of architects will analyze blueprints for a sustainable building. 
• Students in the role of a Finance Team will create a budgeting plan for a client in debt.
• Students in the role of customer relations will deal with a challenging customer complaint.
• Students in the role of a Computer Programming Team will translate a client's needs into a viable programming plan.
• Students in the role of Human Resources will mediate a dispute between employees.
• Students in the role of a Medical Team will triage patients to determine treatment.